Post with self-locking connector retention means



POST WITH SELF-LOCKING CONNECTOR RETENTION MEANS Filed Aug. 27, 1964 f Ti I 4 7 1-; fi 28 34 7 :42 32 2Y4 30 /2 I J 5 20 /6 -28 I v 30 2 I] -/2 INVENTOR.

t: GEORGE A. BLAT/V/K /4 United States Patent 3,332,189 POST WITH SELF-LOCKING CQNNECTOR RETENTION MEANS George A. Blatnik, Burbank, Calif., assignor to Caine Steel Co. of California, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,398 6 Claims. (Cl. 52-364) This invention relates generally to supporting structures adapted to retain connector members or other structures and more particularly to a post having means for automatically insuring the immovable retention therein of various connectors such as nails, staples, and the like.

One of the most common uses of supporting posts is in the erection of fences and particularly fences of the metal wire or cable type. Typically, a fence of the type described comprises a plurality of spaced apart posts to which are connected lengths of straight or woven wire by means of suitable connectors such as staples, nails or tie wires. The posts themselves invariably are made of two basic materials, namely, wood and metal.

When the fence posts were made of wood, the most frequently used connectors were staples because they were understandably the most convenient, expeditious and inexpensive. However, those versed in the art will appreciate that as the wood aged and stresses were applied to the fence, the staples frequently worked loose or pulled out of the posts, thereby breaking the fence or permitting the same to sag. In the case of the more desirable metal posts, the fencing material was invariably attached to the posts by means of tie wires which likewise had a tendency to work loose or break open with continued ageing and use. The use of staples with the metal posts was not feasible because the driving and permanent retention of staples in such posts created obvious problems which to my knowledge have not heretofore been satisfactorily solved.

It is therefore an important object of this invention to provide a metal post which overcomes the disadvantages described hereinabove.

Another object of the invention is to afford a metal post of the character described into which may be readily driven all forms of suitable connectors including staples.

A further object is to provide a metal post of the character described having self-locking means which automatically grip the connector driven thereinto to insure the immovable retention thereof.

Still another object is to afford a self-locking metal post of the character described which is most simple in operation and requires no auxiliary tools other than the basic tool employed for driving the connectors.

Yet another object is to provide a metal post of the character described which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and yet is most durable and efiicient for the purposes intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, arrangement and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodiment thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my invention, its mode of construction,

assembly and operation, and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated.

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a section of fencing made with posts having self-locking connector retention means embodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the top portion of one of the posts shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 33 in FIG. 1, viewed in the direction indicated, and showing the relationship of parts with a staple positioned through the front plates but prior to being driven through the constricted slot;

FIG. 4 is a similar view but showing the relationship of parts after the staple has been driven in to activate the posts self-locking retention means; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken on the plane of line 5-5 in FIG. 1 and viewed in the direction indicated.

Referring more particularly in FIG. 1 of the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a fence hav ing a plurality of Wire strands 12. The strands 12 are connected by any suitable connectors such as staples 14 to a plurality of spaced self-locking posts indicated generally by the numeral 15 and embodying the principle of the invention.

Each of the posts 15 is integrally formed from a sheet of suitable metal, such as steel, and the same comprises a rear tubular section 16 which terminates forwardly in a constricted opening or slot 18 (see FIGS. 2-4). A pair of diverging arms 20, 20, project forwardly from the section 16 to provide an enlarged dimension passageway or neck 22 into said constricted slot 18. The arms 20 terminate forwardly in a pair of lateral flanges 24 and 26 and said flanges are return bent at the outer edges thereof to provide front panels 28 and 30 respectively.

It is important to note that one of the front panels 30 overlaps the other front panel 28 at a point in alignment with the neck 22. A plurality of vertically spaced pairs of holes 32 and 34 is formed in the panels 28 and 30, and it is likewise important to note that said holes are in substantial alignment with the slot 18 for reasons which will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Operation of the post 15 may now be appreciated in connection with the following description. A staple 14 which is of ordinary U-shaped configuration having a pair of tapered legs 36, 36, is inserted through an adjacent pair of holes 32, 34 (see FIG. 3). When the staple 14 is driven inwardly, as by means of a hammer, the legs 36 thereof, which are of a slightly greater diameter than the width of the slot 18, are caused to enter the slot. As the staple legs pass into the post section 16, they necessarily expand the slot 18 by forcing the arms 20 apart. The described expansion of the slot 18 causes the flanges 24 and 26 and front panels 28 and 30 to likewise tend to move apart and in opposite directions as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 4. As a result of this motion, the pairs of holes 32 and 34 are slightly misaligned as shown in FIG. 4 to produce a scissors-like action which most securely and immovably locks the staple 14 into the post 15.

The wire strands 12 may then be threaded through the projecting eye of the staple 14, or if desired the strand may be positioned therein prior to insertion of the staple into the post in the well-known manner. Although the embodiment illustrated has been shown and described in connection with staples, it will of course be appreciated that other driven connectors such as nails or shanked hooks will work equally as well so long as such connector forces the slot 18 to expand as described.

From the foregoing description and drawings, it should be apparent that I have provided a post having novel self-locking retention means which automatically function to securely and immovably retain a connector driven thereinto. All forms of customary shanked connectors may be used and no special tools are required. In addition, the posts may be relatively inexpensively manufactured in continuous lengths, as by cold roll forming, and then cut into posts of the desired length for a particular application.

It is believed that my invention, its mode of construction and assembly, and many of its advantages should be readily understood from the foregoing without further description, and it should also be manifest that while a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described for illustrative purposes, the structural details are nonetheless capable of wide variation within the purview of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A post comprising an elongate portion,

a pair of opposed overlapping plates,

said plates being formed with aligned openings therethrough, and

means carried by said plates spaced from and in alignment with said openings and intermediate said elongate portion and said plates, said means being yieldable responsive to a connector passed through said openings and engaging said means to urge said openings into misalignment and lock said connector to said post.

2. A post comprising a pair of opposed overlapping plates, said plates being formed with aligned openings therethrough, and means carried by said plates, said means being yieldable responsive to a connector passed through said openings and engaging said means to urge said openings into misalignment and lock said connector to said post, said means comprising a pair of arms projecting rearwardly from said plates,

said arms converging rearwardly to provide a constricted slot therebetween so that said arms are urged in opposite directions when a connector of larger dimension is forced through said slot.

3. The structure of claim 2 in which a tubular section projects rearwardly from said arms,

said tubular section adapted to receive therein the leading edges of said connector after the same passes through said slot.

4. An integrally formed metal post comprising a rear tubular section terminating forwardly in a constricted slot,

a pair of diverging arms projecting forwardly from said tubular section and defining a neck communicating with said slot,

a pair of opposed plates extending inwardly from the free ends of said arms and overlapping one another at a point in substantial alignment with said slot,

said plates being formed with spaced pairs of openings therethrough in substantial alignment with said slot,

said slot being expandable responsive to a connector passing through said openings and being forced therethrough whereby said arms and plates are urged in opposite directions to securely lock said connector therein.

5. An integrally formed metal post comprising a rear tubular section terminating forwardly in a constricted slot,

a pair of diverging arms projecting forwardly from said tubular section and defining a neck communicating with said slot,

a pair of lateral flanges extending outwardly from the free edges of said arms, and

a pair of front plates return bent from the outer edges of said flanges,

said plates overlapping one another at a point in substantial alignment with said neck and slot,

said plates being formed with a plurality of spaced pairs of openings therethrough in substantial alignment with said slot,

said slot being expandable responsive to a connector passing through said openings and being forced therethrough whereby said arms, flanges and plates are urged in opposite directions to securely lock said connector therein.

6. In combination an integrally formed metal post comprising a rear tubular section terminating forwardly in a constricted slot,

a pair of diverging arms projecting forwardly from said tubular section and defining a neck communicating with said slot,

a pair of opposed plates extending inwardly from the free ends of said arms and overlapping one another at a point in substantial alignment with said slot,

said plates being formed with spaced pairs of openings therethrough in substantial alignment with said slot,

and a shanked connector positioned through said openings and forced through said slot,

said connector expanding said slot and moving said arms in opposite directions so that said openings exert a scissors-like action on said connector to securely and immovably lock the same therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 762,902 6/ 1904 Haines 52-364 1,202,988 10/1916 Freeze 256-48 1,477,349 12/1923 Hindmarsh et al. 5272O X 1,792,331 2/ 1931 Sollenberger 25648 2,367,283 1/1945 Judd 248361 3,261,357 7/1966 Roberts -36 X FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A POST COMPRISING AN ELONGATE PORTION, A PAIR OF OPPOSED OVERLAPPING PLATES, SAID PLATES BEING FORMED WITH ALIGNED OPENINGS THERETHROUGH, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID PLATES SPACED FROM AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID OPENINGS AND INTERMEDIATE SAID ELONGATE PORTION AND SAID PLATES, SAID MEANS BEING YIELDABLE RESPONSIVE TO A CONNECTOR PASSED THROUGH SAID OPENINGS AND ENGAGING SAID MEANS TO URGE SAID OPENGINGS INTO MISALIGNMENT AND LOCK SAID CONNECTOR TO SAID POST. 